Northumbria Police is getting rid of its £200,000 motorcycle fleet over health
and safety fears.

The police force decided to sell off all the Honda and BMW bikes after deciding that officers using them were "particularly vulnerable to collision".

The force has been criticised for losing a valuable resource but senior officers have insisted that the move will "maximise officer safety".

Russ Watson, chairman of Northumbria Police Federation, said: "There are very few forces that do not have a motorcycle capacity.

"Used in the right context, motorbikes are an essential resource. They can get into places that cars have difficulty getting to such as in heavy traffic."

One serving officer, who asked not to be named, added: "I guess with all the health and safety red tape surrounding the police service these days their days were always going to be numbered.

"It's a great shame we won't be able to use them any more – cars just aren't the same. Maybe they'll offer us push bikes instead – as long as we can produce our cycling proficiency test certificates, obviously "

Defending the move, Chief Superintendent Neil Mackay, head of Northumbria Police's operations department, told Police Review magazine: "A decision was taken on 7 April, with immediate effect, to dissolve the force's motorcycle capability to maximise the safety of officers.

"There will be no loss of service to the public. Everything that can be done with a bike can also be done with a car.

"An additional benefit to the public is that the money saved will be reinvested in neighbourhood policing."

Ch Supt Mackay said that the officers in the motorcycle section would remain in motor patrol units.

The force said that some of the motorbikes had already been sold to another force while the remainder would be stripped of their livery and sold at auction.